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Criminal justice programs in Iowa

7 criminal justice programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

6 schools offer these criminal justice programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Police officers protect lives and property, and detectives gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes. The education needed ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree, and new officers usually attend a training academy before they start.1

In Iowa, 1 of the 7 programs takes students without a high school diploma and 6 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 7 programs here are criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree, 6 programs) and criminal justice certificate (1 program).

See the 7 programs

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Iowa?

Two-year degrees (6 programs)
$12,649 to $13,743most of them, usually 61 to 64 weeks long
Other criminal justice programs (1 program)
$3,717the one with a price

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
25%
Working 6 months later
82%
Earned a year, estimated
about $31,300
Length
60 to 64 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Iowa may also offer criminal justice programs. How these figures are made

Are there free criminal justice programs in Iowa?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 7 criminal justice programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

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7 programs

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)HybridNo diploma needed

    Criminal Justice, AAS

    Des Moines Area Community College

    Ankeny

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Des Moines Area Community College, AnkenyCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$36,600
    Price if you pay yourself$11,840
    Program website, Criminal Justice, AAS at Des Moines Area Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice, AAS at Des Moines Area Community College
    Finished
    22%
    Working at 6 months
    78%
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,142
    Length
    64 weeks, 19 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,000
    Students counted
    950
    Earned a year, estimated
    $36,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $11,840
    Program website, Criminal Justice, AAS at Des Moines Area Community College

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice

    Iowa Central Community College

    Fort Dodge

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Iowa Central Community College, Fort DodgeCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$37,000
    Price if you pay yourself$13,500
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Iowa Central Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice at Iowa Central Community College
    Finished
    23%
    Working at 6 months
    78%
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,258
    Length
    60 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,850
    Students counted
    373
    Earned a year, estimated
    $37,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $13,500
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Iowa Central Community College

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Police Science Technology - AAS

    Western Iowa Tech Community College

    Sioux City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$44,300
    Price if you pay yourself$12,805
    Program website, Police Science Technology - AAS at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    More details about Police Science Technology - AAS at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    Finished
    33%
    Working at 6 months
    86%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,063
    Length
    64 weeks, 21 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,188
    Students counted
    253
    Earned a year, estimated
    $44,300
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,805
    Program website, Police Science Technology - AAS at Western Iowa Tech Community College

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice

    Indian Hills Community College

    Ottumwa

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Indian Hills Community College, OttumwaCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$26,000
    Price if you pay yourself$23,578
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Indian Hills Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice at Indian Hills Community College
    Finished
    42%
    Working at 6 months
    88%
    Earned in a quarter
    $6,497
    Length
    84 weeks, 11 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    156
    Earned a year, estimated
    $26,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $23,578
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Indian Hills Community College

  • Criminal justice certificateIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice Certificate

    North Iowa Area Community College

    Mason City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    North Iowa Area Community College, Mason CityCriminal justice certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$22,400
    Price if you pay yourself$3,717
    Program website, Criminal Justice Certificate at North Iowa Area Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice Certificate at North Iowa Area Community College
    Finished
    21%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,588
    Length
    15 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $789
    Students counted
    55
    Earned a year, estimated
    $22,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,717
    Program website, Criminal Justice Certificate at North Iowa Area Community College

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice/Police Science

    Iowa Valley Community College District

    Marshalltown

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Iowa Valley Community College District, MarshalltownCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$24,600
    Price if you pay yourself$13,824
    Program website, Criminal Justice/Police Science at Iowa Valley Community College District
    More details about Criminal Justice/Police Science at Iowa Valley Community College District
    Finished
    27%
    Working at 6 months
    55%
    Earned in a quarter
    $6,138
    Length
    64 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,100
    Students counted
    42
    Earned a year, estimated
    $24,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $13,824
    Program website, Criminal Justice/Police Science at Iowa Valley Community College District

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice, A.A.S.

    North Iowa Area Community College

    Mason City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    North Iowa Area Community College, Mason CityCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$12,597
    Program website, Criminal Justice, A.A.S. at North Iowa Area Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice, A.A.S. at North Iowa Area Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    60 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,967
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,597
    Program website, Criminal Justice, A.A.S. at North Iowa Area Community College

How to pay for criminal justice programs in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for criminal justice programs in Iowa

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for criminal justice programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for criminal justice programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Criminal justice programs in Iowa

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
23rd of 24
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
9 of 16
criminal justice programs here, against the typical state's 8
7 vs 8

State comparisons use the same figures as the criminal justice programs by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Criminal justice programs in Mason City, Des Moines, Fort Dodge and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Iowa

How criminal justice programs compare with the rest of public safety: First responder training in Iowa

Where the Iowa criminal justice program numbers come from

Which Iowa criminal justice programs are on this list?

These are the criminal justice programs Iowa approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Iowa offers.

How the prices and results of Iowa criminal justice programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about criminal justice programs in Iowa

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List